


life in waiting

by milkisande



Series: rise like the sun [4]
Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: F/M, Post-Canon, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018) Season 5 Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-18
Updated: 2020-05-18
Packaged: 2021-03-02 19:07:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,700
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24251800
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/milkisande/pseuds/milkisande
Summary: Entrapta searches, and finds, and searches again.
Relationships: Entrapta & Hordak (She-Ra)
Series: rise like the sun [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1746601
Comments: 9
Kudos: 33





	life in waiting

**Author's Note:**

> this is the fourth in a series of short fics im planning to do about she-ra post-canon — following the events of season 5.
> 
>  **my tellonym:** milkisande

**.**

**life in waiting**

_in the shatter of us collapsed,  
it cuts me with every could-have-been._

**.**

**.**

**.**

**AS usual, the agitated glances and hushed words didn't phase her.**

Instead, Entrapta walked forward with purpose; a carefree smile on her face as her companions followed suit. The refugees seemed less than happy with the intruders, but decided against acting out— most of them too tired, really, to fight back in the first place.

The looks didn't stop, though.

Visibly unbothered, Entrapta continued on her way, walking past the Etherians to find a shoddily-built campsite some distance away from the town. _Well, not quite a campsite_ , she noted— finding that most of the clones were simply lying on the grass, or staring wonderingly at the trees and the vast expanse of _land_ that the princess was sure they had never seen before.

Excitedly, she took out her notepad, taking notes as the clones interacted with each other.

She ran right over to one of the Horde clones— one that sat quietly upon a tree stump, practically jumping at the sudden flash of bright purple and intrusion from his… well, he wasn't really _doing_ anything (aside from contemplating and doubting everything he's ever known, really).

Entrapta squealed. "It's absolutely true! You really _are_ clones of each other; almost perfect replications, down to the last detail! No birthmarks or unique features at all, I can _barely_ tell the difference." She stated, intensely writing down every detail as she looked over at the soldier. "Tell me, how did the Hive mind work? Is it still working now? Even though the technical mothership is offline, you can't rule out the possibility that the soldiers became independent and created their own working system outside of it."

She paused, noticing the clearly empty and lost look on the soldier's face. "But _then again_ , it seems like you're barely functioning at all." Entrapta poked at the clone, who moved back in surprise, effectively toppling over and falling to the ground. "It seems that with Prime gone, the clones have reverted to a state of blankness; like a _reset_ button! They have both the emotional and mental aptitude of children… being suddenly cut off from him, as well as the other clones, have led to a mass existential crisis!"

Entrapta's eyes were practically glowing, mouth almost salivating at the set of new information that had presented itself to her. She had always been fascinated about the world outside Etheria, and now, thousands of disposed test subjects were roaming all over her planet— all ready for her to poke and prod and learn _everything_ about.

She leaned over the tree stump, face only millimeters away from the clone. _"Tell me, how does it feel to be wrong about literally everything you've ever known?"_

It was the soldier's sudden terrified yelp that effectively stopped Entrapta's rambling, as the clone immediately backed away and ran off.

The princess tilted her head. "What was _that_ about?"

"It's not your fault." Someone sighed, only for her to come face-to-face with a familiar figure.

Now, if only she could remember their _name_.

"Oh! It's you!" Entrapta responded, a thinking look on her face. " _Uh…_ "

The girl rolled her eyes, jabbing a thumb to her chest. "Lonnie? Ring a bell?" She pointed out, as the princess shook her head. "I was with you at the Fright Zone? One of Catra's lackeys? _Nothing!?_ "

Entrapta only looked at her blankly, before suddenly brightening up. "Ah, yeah, I remember you!" She stated, before looking back at confusion. "Uh, what are you doing here?"

Lonnie shrugged. "The battle against the princesses is over. We were defeated. Or Horde Prime was? I still don't really get it." She turned backward and started walking, gesturing for Entrapta to follow. "I didn't really know what to do after— _none of us did,_ really —but someone asked if we could help out with the clones, and we figured, _why not_? It's not like any of us were wanted anywhere else."

At Entrapta's silence, the soldier took it as incentive to go on. "I mean, we were still Horde soldiers. Still destroyed a bunch of places, hurt a lot of people, and all that. None of the towns would be too happy to see us there, you know? This is the place where outcasts go." Lonnie laughed. "But you should know all about that, wouldn't you, princess?"

She asked, turning around, before noticing that the princess wasn't behind her at all.

Completely distracted, Entrapta hadn't followed.

Save for Emily, neither had her other companion.

Wrong Hordak separated earlier on, speaking to a cluster of his fellow brothers, shouting off about how Big Brother had lied to them; that they were finally _free_ from his control, and, frankly much better off than they were before. He was also showing them how pretty flowers were.

The _oohs_ and _aahs_ to that revelation, Entrapta filed at the back of her mind.

On the other hand, the princess made her way to a particular tent— one of the few that were structurally-sound, she noted, but marked with a huge sign that said:

 _ **DO NOT ENTER**_.

Which meant that it was exactly the place she was looking for.

Pointedly ignoring the warning, taking it instead as a _friendly suggestion_ , Entrapta entered.

It was much darker than she expected.

"Who's there?"

The voice was gruff, almost closed off, but the princess knew better.

She immediately jumped forward at the figure, surprising it as she tackled it to the ground. " _Entrapta?_ "

"Yep!" She responded, sitting up as Hordak rubbed at his head. _Maybe a concussion?_ Entrapta thought, before immediately scratching off the idea. She had seen the Horde leader— _ex-leader now?_ —go through much worse than a surprise hug.

"What are you doing here?"

Entrapta shrugged. "You left so suddenly!" She simply responded. "I had no idea where you went, and She-Ra decided not to go after you— she told me to focus on helping all the clones adjust to life here at Etheria, but I wanted to see you, and…" the princess paused, voice almost sad. "Why did you leave?"

Hordak turned away, silent. There were still so many things that needed to be addressed.

She-Ra— _Adora_ , had shown him mercy. Had shown him something akin to kindness (he wasn't quite sure, it was a foreign feeling), and spared his life.

But things were never that easy. He still hurt people, burned down towns, and caused mass destruction and loss of life to Etheria. For Prime. For his praise. For his respect. For his honor.

(It was a plan doomed to failure, in every sense of the word.)

Entrapta was ecstatic to have her lab partner back. But what she didn't understand (or chose not to) was that Hordak remained to be a war criminal; the face and cause of so much suffering and misery he consciously decided to ignore for his own gain.

That night, after their victory, Hordak ran away— only finding solace with the other Horde soldiers (though they were arguably much more innocent than he was, given that they were only following what the Hive mind told them to do. Hordak was free from it, and still chose evil.)

The fact that She-Ra let him leave was one Hodak was thankful for; it was a last favor, an unspoken _goodbye_ , before they severed ties completely.

"I'm sorry." He only replied. "It did not seem right for me to stay. I was clearly unwanted. Leaving was the best option."

"For leaving or not saying goodbye?"

Hordak looked back at her, evidently confused. "What?"

"What are you sorry for?" She asked, repeating herself. "For leaving, or not saying goodbye?"

There was a pause.

Neither of them were good with these types of things.

Conversations about feelings.

As a soldier, Hordak had been taught that emotions were only a royal privilege: only for Horde Prime, his only duties were to _follow_. Never to have his own thoughts. Own ideas. Own feelings. He was simply a mindless clone, a blank slate only meant to be faithful to his master. Even when he was 'free', Hordak couldn't quite shake off that tendency; uncomfortable with showing emotion, much less accepting it.

On the other hand, Entrapta had a difficult time grasping feelings. Understanding them. Science was easy: it was objective and empirical— logical and reasonable. But emotions were not. They were chaotic and messy; sometimes they had a reason, sure, but most of the time didn't. They couldn't be explained, and it sent her mind into a frenzy.

"For not saying goodbye." Hordak finally stated, turning away.

"I do not regret leaving."

Another bout of silence.

"I have a thought experiment." Entrapta spoke, voice surprisingly quiet as she just _barely_ broke the quiet between them.

Hordak smiled, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. "I would love to hear it."

"I go back to Dryl," she began. "And you come with me." Hordak only stared, and she continued. "We're lab partners. We do experiments together. Try to make sense of First Ones' and alien tech." She paused, her words barely reaching his ears. "Sometimes we make mistakes, but it's okay. Because we're together."

Entrapta met his eyes, a look of something that he doubted anyone actually ever saw in her: _vulnerability._ "What do you think?"

"Sounds perfect." Hordak exhaled. "It's a nice thought."

"But only hypothetical?" Entrapta asked.

"Only hypothetical." He reaffirmed, turning away.

Silence surrounded the tent, again, though it wasn't suffocating.

But it wasn't completely comfortable, either.

There was still much left unsaid; things they wanted to say to each other, but the quiet seemed to say it all.

It was more than enough.

After a beat, Entrapta abruptly stood up, stretching her arms. " _Well,_ I should get back outside. I left what's-her-name there and I think she's looking for me."

Hordak looked at her, fond _(— is that what it was?)_ , before getting up himself and nodding.

"I will see you around, Entrapta."

The princess felt her heart warm.

 _Yes_ , she thought to herself. _This wasn't goodbye._

_Not by a long shot._

She opened the tent's flap, turning back as the sun shone into the darkness of his tent.

Entrapta smiled.

" _ **See you, Hordak."**_

**.**

**.**

**.**

**Author's Note:**

> //yells this was hard to write!! i cant shake that their having a heart-to-heart is a bit ooc, but i really wanted to write it. i know their feelings are mutual, but? tbh i dont believe he redeemed himself in s5, so i like to think he goes around trying to figure out his crap first, before just going straight to enrapta and living happily ever after. that’s not to say i never want it to happen, though-- hence the open ending. 
> 
> maybe they meet up after a few years. or months. or hordak takes it back as soon as she leaves and decides to go with her. or maybe they move on completely and never see each other again. it’s really up to you to interpret: though i’d love to hear your thoughts and we can talk about it!
> 
> _thank you for reading! ( ´ ∀ `)ノ～♡_


End file.
